December 15, 2010

Twitter Hit By Spam Attacks

Passwords stolen from gossip website Gawker were apparently used by hackers on Tuesday to flood Twitter with malicious spam about Acai berries.

Users of the micro-blogging site were being warned not to click on any of numerous "tweeted" links to websites supposedly offering information about health benefits of Acai.

The links are likely infected with malicious software that could harm personal computers, possibly giving hackers control of the machines.

"Got a Gawker account that shares a password with your Twitter account?" Del harvey of Twitter asked in a tweeted message. "Change your Twitter password. A current attack appears to be due to the Gawker compromise," he said.

Gawker Media told AFP on Monday that hackers looted passwords from servers handling nine of its websites including Gizmodo on Fleshbot. Users who log-in at Gawker Media properties were advised to change their passwords immediately.

"We're deeply sorry for and embarrassed about this breach of security and of trust," Gawker posted in an online message. "We're working around the clock to ensure our security (and our commenters' account security) moving forward," it added.

A group calling itself "Gnosis" claimed responsibility for the hack, according to New York-based Gawker. Users were advised to vary passwords, especially if the same user name is on different accounts.